A drunk is walking home, feeling sick and hurt. He is at that magic moment of surrender.
On his way he sees God and notices He has something in his hand. The drunk asks “What’s that?” God responds “This is sobriety”. The drunk said “Oh man, I need that! Geez, I need sobriety. How much does that cost?” as he only understands buying things. God returns with “How much do you have?” The drunk says “I have about 20 dollars.” God responds “All right, for you, sobriety costs 20 dollars.” The man, trying to back out of says, “If I give you all twenty dollars, I won’t be able to buy any gas for my car.”
God responds “Oh! so you have a car? I’m sorry, but sobriety is going to cost you your car.”
“Whoa, whoa!” Says the man. “If I give you my car, how am I going to get to my job?”
“You have a job?!” Exclaims God. “No, no, no. Sobriety is going to cost you your job.”
The drunk responds “But, if I give you my job, how am I to pay for my house?” House!!
You have a house!?” God says with surprise. “I thought you lived in a cardboard box under the bridge! Your file is completely out of date! Sobriety is going to cost you your house.”
The man responds “If I give you my house what about my wife and kids?”
“A family! That’s right, you have a family! Yes, yes. Sobriety is going to cost you your family.
The drunk responds “But if I give you all that, what good is my life?”
God states “That’s right. Sobriety costs you your life.”
The alcoholic, because he is at that magic moment of surrender is willing to give his God his money, and his car, and his job, and his house, and his wife and his kids, and his life and for that God gives him sobriety.
Then God looks him deep in the eyes and says:
“All right. I’m going to give you your money back but, it’s not your money anymore, it’s my money. I’m going to let you spend it for me.”
“I’m going to give your car back but, it’s not your car anymore, it’s my car. You get to drive it for me.”
“I’m going to give you your job back but, it’s not your job anymore, it’s my job. You get to work at it for me.”
“I give your house back but, it’s not your house anymore, it’s my home. But, you get to live in it for me.”
“I give your family back to you but, it’s not your family anymore, it’s my family. You get to take care of them for me.”
“I give your life back but, it’s not your life ever again. But, you get to live it for me.”
That’s the deal a loving God makes with us in the 3rd step.
Pham C.
Early Sobriety Group 